Brooder.



G.) H. LEE.

BROODER.

APPLIGATION FILED DEO.10, 1909.

Patented Aug. 2, 1910.

e 6 ml mfl 6 W a WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS THE? NURRIS PETERS C0,, wnsunvamu, n c,

UNITE GEORGE -HOWARD LEE, 0F OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

BROODER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. LEE, 2. citizen of the United States, anda resident of Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska,have invented a new and Improved Brooder, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to brooders for raising young chickens and thelike, and has reference more particularly to a device of this class,comprising a casing, and an adjustable hover adapted to be raised andlowered, so that the chicks or other creatures in the brooder can beprotected to a greater or less degree, against temperature changes.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and efiicientbrooder, which obviates the necessity of artificial heating means, inwhich a hover is employed to protect and shelter the chicks or othercreatures therein, and in which the hover can be raised and lowered, toadjust it as desired.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts tobe more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both views, and in which Figure 1 is alongitudinal section of an embodiment of my invention; and Fig. 2 is atransverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, parts being broken away.

Before proceeding to a more detailed explanation of my invention, itshould be clearly understood, that while it is particularly useful inconnection with so-called fireless brooders, the invention can also beadvantageously employed in connection with other like devices in whichhovers are used. The hover comprises a frame or board having associatedtherewith flexible strips or curtains of heat-insulating material suchas flannel or other fabric, which can be lowered upon the chicks withinthe brooder and thus surround and shelter them so that the naturalwarmth of the creatures is confined within the brooder and cannot bedissipated except to a very slight extent. By thus retaining the animalheat produced by the chicks themselves, artificial heating means can bedispensed with, or need be employed as auxiliaries only. I have found itof ad vantage to provide an adjustable hover which Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed December 10, 1909.

Patented Aug. 2, 1910.

Serial No. 532,348.

can be raised or lowered to protect or shelter the chicks to a greateror less degree, depending upon temperature conditions. Certain of thestructural details shown for ex ample herewith, form no part of theinvention, and can be varied in accordance with individual preferenceand special conditions, without departing from the underlying spirit ofthe invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I provide a brooder casing10, of any suitable form, and fashioned from wood or other materialadapted for the purpose. The casing has a removable top 11, havingretaining cleats 12, and downwardly disposed flanges 13. At one end thetop may be provided with a rain shelter 14. The casing has suitableventilating openings 15, associated with which are shields or guards 16,to prevent the entrance of moisture, dust and vermin. If so desired,additional ventilating openings 17 may be provided in the casing.

Movably arranged within the casing is a hover frame or board 18 to whichare secured the depending strips 19, of heat-insulating material. Atopposite, longitudinal edges the member 18 has secured thereto metal orlike strips 20, which constitute laterally extendedflanges. At eachside, within the casing, is arranged a lever 21, pivotally mounted atone end by means of a suitable pin 22, and operable for a purpose toappear hereinafter. Arms or members 23, are arranged in pairs above thelevers and are pivotally mounted by means of pins or the like, 24. Themembers 23 have the outer ends 25 rounded, and are connected at theopposite ends, by means of links 26, with the levers 21, intermediatethe ends of the latter.

Then the levers 21 are depressed, the inner, adjacent ends of themembers 25, which are normally alined, are pulled downward so that theouter ends are swung upward and by engaging the flanges 20, raise thehover as is indicated in dotted outline in Fig. 1. By raising the freeends of the levers 21 the operation is reversed and the hover islowered. It will be understood that in this way the hover can beadjusted to lift the protective strips 19 from the floor or bottom ofthe brooder, or to lower them to the same. The arms 28 when alined,serve as supports for the hover, the flanges 20 resting upon the arms asis shown in the drawings.

Any suitable means can be employed for holding the levers in a pluralityof positions. As is shown for example, in Fig. 2, I employ flexiblestrips 27, having ofi'sets or shoulders 28, and secured at the sides ofthe casing. When the levers are depressed, the strips spring aside, topermit the engagement of the levers with the shoulders, so that thelevers can be held in different positions. The strips can be forcedinwardly to release the levers.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In a device of the class described, a cas ing, ahover within said casing, and levermechanism for raising and loweringsaid hover, so that it maintains a constant angularity with thehorizontal.

2. In a device of the class described, a casing, an adjustable hovertherein, lever mechanism, and means operated by said levermechanism toraise and lower said hover.

3. In a device of the class described, a casing, a hover therein,arranged to be raised and lowered, pivoted levers, and arms connectedwith said levers and adapted to engage said hover to raise the same whensaid levers are operated in a predetermined manner.

4. In a device of the class described, a casing, a hover in said casingand adapted to be raised and lowered, pivoted levers, pivoted arms, andlinks connecting said arms and said levers, said arms being adapted toengage said hover to raise the same when said levers are moved in apredetermined direction.

5. In a device of the class described, a casing, a hover frame thereinhaving laterally extending flanges, levers pivoted at the sides of saidcasing, arms pivoted at the sides of said casing, and links connectingsaid arms and said levers, said arms having rounded ends adapted toengage said flanges, to raise said hover frame when said levers arelowered.

6. In a device of the class described, a casing, a hover arranged insaid casing and adapted to be raised and lowered, pivoted arms withinsaid casing and forming a support for said hover, and levers controllingsaid arms whereby said arms can be operated to raise said hover.

7 In a device of the class described, a casing, a hover within saidcasing, arms pivotally mounted within said casing and adapted to havesaid hover rest thereon, whereby said arms form a support for saidhover, and pivoted levers operatively connected with said arms andoperable to cause said arms to raise said hover.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE HOIVARD LEE.

Witnesses STELLA CHAsn, HARRY ROWLEY.

